


The Roses' Souls

by brightlikeloulou



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Aaron has his arm..., Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Crushes, Established Friendship, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Ideas from Comic & TV show, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Injury, Jesus survives the stabbing, M/M, Negan was killed, Polyamory, Rick didn't die, Violence, Whisperers Arc Re-Write, no Gracie, timeline in this fic is very different to the show's
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2019-10-26 08:03:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17742089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightlikeloulou/pseuds/brightlikeloulou
Summary: Life had been peaceful for years, but The Whisperers lurked just around the corner.





	1. Rose, by meaning

**Author's Note:**

> So, this I wrote a fic before of this same title, but I deleted it because while planning out chapters, I changed too many things that I just decided to delete it, and completely re-write it. Please read the first three chapters of this fic, even if you read the other chapters, things have changed! 
> 
> \- The tags apply to the entire story, not just the first chapter.
> 
> \- First 24 chapters are planned out and can finish there. I'll see if I want to continue.

_A rose, in general, is considered to be a symbolic representation of promise, hope, and new beginnings. Roses also have meanings by color, a red rose for love, pink for grace and gentleness, white for charm, orange for desire and enthusiasm, green for life and growth._

_Together, Paul, Aaron, and Daryl were an embodiment of them all. Together, they were like a bouquet._


	2. The start of something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first actual chapter.
> 
> \- 
> 
> The first little bit, is a lyric from the hozier song Angel of Small Death & Codeine Scene, meaning provided by genius lyrics.

_**Fresh from the fields, all fetor and fertile -** _

_A new relationship, and it has all the materials it needs to grow into a long-lasting one._

 

* * *

  

"Think we're ready to head home?" Aaron asked as he stood up, stretching his arms above his head and Paul noticed him wince, he figured that their sparring session had left him sore.

Paul nodded and stood up also, grabbing his pack and shrugging it onto his shoulders, "Yeah, let's head home, you stink anyway," He replied, smirking a little as he stepped over to his horse, Dusk, a black gelding.

"Oh, haha, so very funny," Aaron said, rolling his eyes as he put on his own pack, but Paul could catch the small smirk on his face.

He chuckled, "Just teasing you, Aaron," He replied as he checked Dusk's girth, he then untied him from the tree and hoisted himself into the saddle, turning the animal to face the way they came as Aaron also mounted.

"Well," Aaron said, his horse Holland, a chestnut, walking up beside him, "Speaking of teasing," He began, and the two of them started at a steady walk back to The Hilltop.

"Hmm?" Paul replied lazily, dropping his reins for a moment to re-tie his bun, it had been falling loose since they finished sparring.

Aaron looked over at him, a grin that made him look so much younger playing on his lips, and there was a swirl of fondness in his gut as he looked at the slightly older man. Paul admired his new beard, Aaron had finally listened to him and shaved off his caveman beard that wasn't doing him any favors. He had shaved it off a few days ago, well Paul had shaved it off for him because Aaron said he didn't know how to style a beard and wanted Paul to show him.

Paul had rolled his eyes at Aaron's plain laziness, but had still shaved his beard for him, and then trimmed it to a similar length as his own. When he was done, even Aaron agreed that he looked much better with it shorter. Paul had promptly kissed his cheek playfully and pinched his hip and told him that he owed him one of Kal's beers for his effort.

"I spoke to Daryl last night," Aaron told him, finally looking away and focusing on the woods in front of them, winding his horse around an extensive collection of bushes.

"Oh?" Paul tried to reply casually and immediately knew that he had failed, and he rolled his eyes at himself, refusing to meet Aaron's.

Aaron grinned a little wider, "Yep. He told me, says he's pretty excited to get away for a while. He also told you that you better get your couch ready," He replied.

Paul nodded, "Well, you can't blame him for wanting to get away from that place. After what was done to him there, even with Negan killed, he shouldn't have to be there," He said, a frown forming on his face as he thought about Daryl.

"You saw what he was like when you brought him back here didn't you?" Aaron asked quietly, a frown forming on his own face.

Paul nodded and thought back to the day almost seven years previous. Sasha had asked him, to follow The Saviors back to the Sanctuary and to scout it out, get an idea of what was where and the information they would need if they went to war.

When Paul got to The Sanctuary, he quickly made the decision that he needed to find Carl, Daryl, and then get the hell out of there. It ended up being simpler than he had thought, Carl was caught by Negan and taken back home to Alexandria, so that left Paul just to find Daryl.

"When I found him," Paul started, "He was beating the head in of… Joey, I think his name was? Even after he was long dead, Daryl kept going; it took me a while to get his attention and get him to stop,"

"What was he like? I didn't see him until about a week after he got back," Aaron asked quietly, and Paul realised that was true, that he was really the only one who had seen Daryl at his worst, and he'd only ever talked to Daryl about it.

Paul sighed heavily and massaged between his brows, "He was terrified, had been beaten badly, later told me that he had been tortured. I barely even knew him back then, but when I got him back to The Hilltop, he was just so scared and fragile, he begged me not to leave him," He told Aaron.

He remembered what it had been like, Daryl's ocean blue eyes wide with fear, his face crumbled and his lips trembling as he tried not to cry, and when Paul had promised him he wouldn't go anywhere, Daryl collapsed into him.

"And ever since that, you've been one of the people he trusts the absolute most," Aaron said, his eyes on him once again.

Paul nodded, "Yeah, but I would have much rathered to earn his trust in another way. Nobody deserved what happened to him, it took him years to recover from it," He looked over at Aaron, and the man smiled softly at him.

"A lot of people don't deserve the things that came to them," The curly-headed man said softly, and he reached over the space between their horses and placed his hand on his thigh, Paul felt his skin burn at the contact and butterflies spawn in his stomach when Aaron squeezed his flesh. He begged his cheeks not to heat up as he managed to smile at him.

They held eye contact for a while before Paul awkwardly cleared his throat and looked ahead of him again, "Shall we talk about something more light-hearted?" He suggested, stroking Dusk's neck distractedly as they rode through the woods back towards The Hilltop.

Aaron chuckled softly and removed his hand from Paul's thigh, "Sure," He replied, a grin spreading on his lips again, "I have a suggestion… how about we talk about your undeniable crush on a certain shy hunter with a heart of gold," He said.

Paul rolled his eyes and groaned, and he should have known it was coming as soon as he suggested something light-hearted. Paul had first confided in Aaron for his feelings for Daryl around a year ago when Aaron moved from Alexandria to The Hilltop. They had been casual friends before that, but when Aaron became a Hilltop resident, they started to see each other every day and spent a lot of time together outside the walls, Paul training Aaron in martial arts, the two of them going on Scavenger and scouting missions together, they got close after a few months.

Daryl's first visit after Paul and Aaron had become friends, ended with Aaron asking Paul how long he had feelings for Daryl, and since then, Paul often confided in him about Daryl but recently, he hadn't done so as much. The reason for that being that since becoming friends, Aaron had always been so kind, affectionate and supportive towards him, and that combined with his personality, and rugged handsomeness, had caused Paul to also develop feelings for him.

"Come on," Aaron encouraged, "We haven't talked about it in ages,"

Paul sighed, "What are we? A bunch of high schoolers?" He replied, rolling his eyes at Aaron again.

Aaron was quiet for a few moments, "Do you not have feelings for him anymore?" He asked softly, and Paul just knew that the man's blue eyes were boring into the side of his head.

Paul shook his head, "No, it's not that, my crush is still raging on, don't you worry," He said, and Aaron replied with a chuckle.

"Okay, so it's just not today's topic?"

"Yeah," Paul answered, nodding.

Aaron hummed, "Okay, fair enough," He said, and it made Paul appreciate him even more, Aaron always had a good sense of a time and place, "What should we talk about then?"

"Whatever comes to that brilliant mind of yours, Aaron," He replied, smirking.

An hour later, they arrived back home at The Hilltop, and the gates were swung open by Kal and Eduardo to let them inside. They dismounted the horses once they reached inside the gates and made their way to the stables that sat to the left of Barrington House.

"So," Paul said as they arrived at the stables, tying the horses to the fence posts so they could remove their tack and groom them.

"What's up?" Aaron asked, smiling over his horse's back at him as he undone his girth.

Paul swapped over Dusk's bridle for a halter, "Since Daryl is Daryl, I assume he'll cook some form of a meal for dinner tonight, you want to join us?"

"You sure? You don't want some alone time with him?" Aaron replied, wriggling his eyebrows at him playfully, his voice teasing.

Paul rolled his eyes and gave him the finger, "Just show up, asshole. He'll want to spend some time with you," He told him.

"No worries, I'll be there," Aaron replied, and then stepped around to the other side of his horse, "Anyway, I can take care of Dusk. You go to the trailer and get ready for Daryl; he should be here pretty soon," Aaron told him.

"You sure?" Paul asked as he slipped the saddle of Dusk and threw it over the fence.

Aaron nodded, "Yeah go ahead, take a damn shower," he said, motioning to Paul's dirty clothes and sweat stains.

"Like you're so much better," Paul replied and slapped Aaron on the shoulder as he passed him, "Thank you!" He called.

 

* * *

  

Paul turned over both books in his palms as he tried to decide what one to leave on Daryl's nightstand. It was something he did every time Daryl stayed on his couch, which happened any time the man visited The Hilltop.

He eventually decided on the murder mystery and placed it down on the nightstand as it seemed to be what Daryl enjoyed the most, and he put the other back in its designated place in the pile.

He had put a pillow on the side of the couch closest to the door, and folded several blankets at the other end, allowing Daryl to use however many he needs. The dog bed that he kept in his closest when Daryl wasn't around was placed beside the couch as Dog refused to sleep anywhere that wasn't near his owner. He even pulled out the metal food bowl that he had in the cabinet, Daryl told him he was an idiot for making him use it, but if Paul didn't bring it out, Daryl fed Dog straight off his floor, which often left blood stains and slobber all over the wooden surface.

He had showered as Aaron told him to, because he did stink, and his clothes were filthy. He hadn't done much other than brush his hair out and put on a clean button up and cargo pants, but he looked more presentable, not that Daryl would care about his appearance, but that didn't mean that he wanted to be dirty.

The sound of a motorcycle approaching met his ears, and a smile played at his lips as he left his trailer to be able to meet Daryl at the front gate.

By the time he got there, Daryl was already inside of the walls and wrapped up in a hug with Aaron, so Paul instead greeted Dog, who excitedly bounded over to him when he saw him. His tail wagging and his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he came to a stop by his feet, and Paul smiled as he squatted down and greeted the animal.

Dog licked at his face which made Paul screw up his nose and try to squirm away.

"Dog! Ain't you got no manners?" Daryl called out as he approached them, and Paul looked up to find the older man smirking at the both of them, Aaron standing just behind him and chuckling softly.

At the sound of his master calling him, Dog left Paul alone and trotted back over to Daryl, sitting down in front of him and barking once, and Daryl laughed softly and scratched behind his ears before stepping around him.

"Hey," Paul said as Daryl approached him, outstretching his arms as an invitation for a hug.

Daryl smiled softly, "Hey," he replied and wound his arms around his shoulders, Paul's own going around his middle and giving him a tight squeeze.

"It's good to see you," Paul told him as he rested his chin on the man's broad shoulder, breathing in his musky scent and sighing softly. After a moment, he realized that he had probably held on too long and he cleared his throat awkwardly as he pulled away.

"You too, Paul," Daryl replied as they pulled apart, "Couch available?" He added a moment later, a playful smirk on his face.

Paul laughed softly, "Of course," He said, folding his arms over his chest, "It always is, isn't it?"

"Well, you ain't turned me down yet," Daryl replied, chewing the inside of his cheek, his eyes light.

There was a laugh from behind them, and they both turned to Aaron who was shaking his head and smirking, "Come on, quit flirting you two, and we'll get your stuff to the trailer, Daryl," He said cheekily, and turned to collect Daryl's bag from where it was sat on the grass by his bike.

Paul's stomach jumped, and his cheeks burned red as he glared at Aaron. He spared a glance at Daryl, found the man looking down and awkwardly scratching behind Dog's ears. Paul swallowed thickly and then cleared his throat, "I'll see you back at the trailer," He said and clicked his fingers, "Come on, Dog,"

Dog obeyed and followed him, trotting along beside him as Paul walked back to his trailer, deciding that he was going to kill Aaron when they were alone next.

 

* * *

  

An hour later, all of Daryl's things had been settled into the trailer, and the three of them were waiting around as the stew Daryl had prepared (as expected) cooked on the stove.

Dog settled down on his bed immediately after he had been fed, exhausted from his and Daryl's travels back to The Hilltop from The Sanctuary, three hours away. He was curled up on top of the brown cushion-y bed, resting his head on his paws as he slept peacefully.

Aaron was flicking through Paul's book collection, looking for something to take back to his own room and read as he had finished and returned the previous one he had borrowed. Paul himself had gone over some plans that Maggie had given him while he peacefully waited for Daryl to finish up whatever he was doing in the bathroom and get in the shower.

When he finally heard the sound of the water turning on, Paul walked up behind Aaron and whacked him up the side of the head, not hard enough to actually hurt him, but enough to get his attention.

"Ow?" Aaron hissed, turning around from the stack of books he was looking at and facing him.

"What the hell was that?" Paul asked.

"What was what?" Aaron replied, brows furrowing.

Paul rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest, "The whole 'stop flirting you two' earlier,"

"Oh," Aaron said, trying to hide his forming smirk by chewing the inside of his cheek.

Paul lightly shoved him in the chest, "Aaron, come on! Why'd you do that?"

"Well, it was clear neither one of you were gonna make a move… I thought that I'd help out," He said, grinning and seeming quite proud of himself.

"You're an asshole," Paul grunted, shoving him again and then stepping away.

Aaron laughed and reached for his hips, grabbing him and pulling him back, "Oh, come on, lighten up a little, you'll thank me one day," He told him, pressing a kiss to his cheek before Paul shoved an elbow in his stomach and Aaron let him go.

It was play fighting for the two of them; they enjoyed mucking around and being affectionate with each other when the time was right.

"Whatever asshole," Paul said, walking over to check on the stew, "I'm ignoring you,"

"Oh, is that so?" Aaron replied, plopping himself down on the couch and stretching his long body out.

Paul chose to prove his point and did not say anything, and Aaron just laughed at him.

Daryl emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later just as Paul was serving out the stew onto three plates for them. Dog had woken up at the smell of the cooked meal and wagged his tail hopefully, but Daryl instructed him to stay on his bed, or he would be sent outside while they eat.

"You'll be a strict father, I see," Paul chuckled as he placed a plate down in front of Aaron and Daryl, then sitting down himself.

Daryl quirked a brow at him and stabbed his fork into his food, "And what makes you think that I want kids?" Daryl asked.

Paul shrugged and shoved a mouthful of stew into his mouth, immediately hissing at the heat of it and awkwardly trying to blow on it to cool it down, which didn't really work as it was already in his mouth. Both Aaron and Daryl watched as he struggled, both smirking, and Daryl pushed his glass of water towards him when he finally managed to swallow down the hot food.

Paul took it and gulped down several mouthfuls of the cold liquid, "Thanks," He said, wiping the remaining droplets that had remained on his lips.

Aaron cleared his throat, "Well, now that we've finished witnessing that wonderful sight, why don't you answer Daryl's question?" He said, eating a mouthful of his own food and looking pleased with himself.

Paul glared at him for several long moments, before looking at Daryl, "I just know," He replied.

"And how's that?" Daryl pressed, not seeming annoyed by any means, but genuinely curious as to what Paul thought.

Paul sighed, "You love any kid that you see, Judith, RJ, Hershel, Jerry and Nabila's children, Henry…" Paul trailed off, "It just makes sense,"

"I can like kids without wanting my own though, can't I?" Daryl replied, his ocean blue eyes boring into his own.

Paul sparred a glance at Aaron, who was attempting to look like he was just invested in his food but was clearly very interested in his and Daryl's conversation.

"You can," Paul said nodding, even grinning a little, "But being completely honest, are you going to be able to tell me that you don't want children without lying?"

Daryl huffed and rolled his eyes, "I don't understand how you know so much crap about people man," He said, not denying Paul's claim.

Paul laughed, "I'm a very observant person, Daryl," He answered.

Daryl just rolled his eyes at him again, and Aaron chuckled.


	3. In the woods somewhere

Paul woke up at sunrise, around six o'clock, as he usually did.

In some strange reality, he was actually not a morning person and loved the days he got to sleep in, but when it was busy, he didn't get a choice in the matter and had to get up early. The communities worked in similar ways to the old world; that most of the work was done of the weekdays, and while nobody had weekends off, they were definitely calmer with less work.

On those weekdays, was when Paul would sleep in as late as he possibly could before he forced himself to exit his lovely warm bed and go and do whatever he needed to do that day. It was a Thursday, which meant Paul only had to make it through two more days.

He stretched his arms above his head and then rolled onto his side to look out at the rest of his trailer. It was a bit messy, and in need of a tidy up, his books especially had a lost a bit of their organization. Daryl's vest was thrown over the back of one of the dining chairs, and his crossbow was hung up on the hook by the door that Paul had put there for him especially.

Daryl himself was still fast asleep, laying on his stomach on the couch, the covers pulled up to his shoulders and slightly exposing the black tee that he liked to sleep in. Both of his arms were tucked under the pillow, and he almost seemed to be cuddling it, and he let out soft snores every few moments. Paul smiled softly at how undeniable cute and sweet he found that image of the older man.

Daryl wasn't the kind of person that let himself relax often, and sometimes, even when he was asleep, he still looked on edge, a spring coiled tight. But this morning, seemed to be one of the days that he was more relaxed, his body didn't seem tense at all as he slept, Paul noticed. But Paul also knew that if he were to lift the man's pillow up, he'd find a knife there.

Paul heard a soft whimper and looked further out into the trailer. He found that Dog was sat by the door, looking at him expectantly as he waited for one of them to let him out. Assuming that the dog more than likely needed to go to the toilet, Paul huffed and threw his warm covers off his body and stood up. He wore only a pair of sweats and a tank top, and his hair was a loose mess, but he was still too tired to care.

He walked over to the door quietly, not wanting to disturb Daryl, and he opened the door. The dog immediately bounded out of it and down the steps, and Paul closed the door again, leaving the animal to do his business.

Back inside the trailer, Daryl had stirred slightly but remained asleep. Paul smiled at him and couldn't help himself from reaching over and pulling the man's blanket a little further up his body. Daryl seemed to almost snuggle into it, and his nose brushed Paul's hand as he drew it away, and Paul felt sparks like a thirteen-year-old with their first crush.

He allowed himself to watch the older man for a few moments, and then he spun on his heels, and searched through his drawer and closest for the day's clothes, entering the bathroom quietly once he found them.

 

* * *

 

He entered the main part of the trailer again after he had showered and used the toilet, the steam of the hot shower following him through the doorway.

"Hey," Daryl greeted him, and Paul found that he was sat up on the couch, his blanket still over his lap and his hair messy and sticking out in random directions.

Paul smiled and walked over to him, still towed drying his wet hair, "Good morning," He replied, and Daryl returned his smile, "How'd you sleep?" He then asked, petting Daryl's shoulder for a moment before he stepped into the kitchen area of the trailer.

"Really good," Daryl replied, flashing him a lazy smile and Paul admired the few of him stretching his muscly arms above his head.

Paul hummed softly, placing some fruit down on a cutting board and grabbing a knife from the drawer, "Any particular reason for that?" He asked, beginning to chop up the fruit.

Daryl shrugged, and a single bark sounded from outside the door, so Daryl got up and let Dog back inside, "I just feel more comfortable here, I guess," he replied softly, stepping around Paul to reach into the pantry and grab Dog's food and bowl.

Paul chewed at the inside of his cheek for a moment, "Do you not feel safe at The Sanctuary?" He inquired softly, sparring a glance at Daryl, who shrugged again, "You know you can talk to me," he added softly.

Daryl nodded, "Yeah, I know," He whispered, and they were both quiet as Daryl fed Dog, and Paul finished cutting up the fruit for their breakfast. Paul knew not to press Daryl anymore, he would talk to him if he wanted to. He knew that he could.

"Breakfast is served," Paul said as they both sat down at the dining table, Paul pushing Daryl's bowl of fruit salad in front of him.

"Thanks," Daryl replied, grabbing a cube of watermelon between his fingers and popping it into his mouth, and Paul tried not to watch how he licked the juice that dripped down his fingers.

"No worries," Paul answered, smiling at him sweetly and beginning to eat his own breakfast.

They were both quiet for several long minutes and were halfway through their fruit salad when Daryl spoke again.

"It's not that I don't feel safe there," He said softly, and Paul immediately put his eyes on him to let him know that he was listening, "But, being there just brings back all the memories of what happened… what they did to me, what they were going to do to me if I hadn't got out… if you hadn't of taken me home,"

"You just called The Hilltop home," Paul said, a smile playing on his lips as he reached out and placed his hand on top of Daryl's own.

Daryl rolled his eyes and grinned a little, "Feels a lot more like home here than there, being with you and Aaron, Maggie and Hershel too… the others,"

The words made Paul's smile brighten, even more, he squeezed Daryl's hand, "Why don't you talk to Rick? You know that he'd understand if you told him why you didn't want to be there," He said, stroking his thumb over Daryl's knuckles for a moment, "He's your brother, he loves you,"

Daryl hummed softly, picking up another piece of fruit, "I just don't like disappointing him,"

"He wouldn't be disappointed, Daryl, and even if he was, it's okay to put yourself first. You do so much for other people, Daryl, you're allowed to do something for your own happiness. You always have a place here, Daryl,"

Daryl looked over at him, his eyes a little glassy but they both chose to ignore it, and he nodded gently. Paul smiled at him and rubbed his hand before returning to his breakfast.

"So," He said, "What's the plan for today?"

"Was thinkin' of taking you and Aaron hunting," Daryl replied as he reached down and petted Dog's head after throwing him a piece of banana.

Paul smiled wide, and his stomach jumped with excitement, "Yeah, that'd be great,"

"Awesome," Daryl replied, grinning at him, "I can make up a bag if you wanna go ask Aaron when we're done?"

"Sure," Paul answered, already excited about going out with his two friends.

 

* * *

 

They finished their breakfast a little while later, and Paul left Daryl to pack a bag for what they'd need on their hunt, and Paul started on his way to find Aaron.

It was almost eight, and Aaron was usually up by that time, but Paul couldn't see any sign of him as he made his way through The Hilltop.

He spotted Carl and Enid sitting at one of the picnic tables by the med-trailer and made his over to them.

Enid had lived at The Hilltop since she and Maggie had first arrived when Glenn was killed. Now, seven years, she and Carl were fresh in their twenties, and Carl had moved from Alexandria to The Hilltop permanently two years ago to live with Enid, who was now the doctor alongside Siddiq. Rick had been upset that his son was moving away from him and he wouldn't see him every day, but he also understood that Carl was an adult and could live his own life.

Enid and Carl lived in a trailer together and had recently gotten engaged, a gold ring with a pretty diamond sat snug around Enid's engagement finger. They planned to have a small ceremony at Alexandria in the church in a few months, he believed.

"Good morning," Paul greeted when he got to the table, placing his hands on the surface and smiling at them both.

"Morning, Jesus," Enid replied, smiling at him and squinting at the sun that shined in her eyes.

Paul looked to Carl then, feeling fondness. Carl had grown so much since Paul had first met him, the scared, mentally scarred kid who held a gun to his head, was now one of Paul's close friends, despite their significant age difference. He now had stubble that lined his jaw, and he had cut his hair into a short, but neatly styled look, and it suited him much better.

"What can we do for you?" Carl asked, resting his chin on his jaw.

"Have either of you seen Aaron? Daryl and I plan on going hunting, and we'd like him to join us, but I can't find him," Paul answered, taking another quick glance around what area of The Hilltop that he could see.

Enid hummed and tucked some hair behind her ear, "You know, I actually haven't seen him this morning either. He's usually out in the gardens by now, or having breakfast with Maggie," She said, also taking a look around.

"Maybe he's still in bed?" Carl suggested, "Have you checked his room?"

Paul quirked a brow, "It's not like him to sleep in late, but I haven't checked his room, so he may still be in there,"

"Glad to be of help," Enid said, winking at him.

Paul chuckled and tapped her chin with his pointer finger before spinning on his heels and beginning to walk towards the front door of Barrington House.

 

* * *

  

Paul lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles against the wooden door of Aaron's bedroom, and waited for a response.

"Aaron!" He called and knocked again after a few minutes, there was still no reply.

It took a few seconds, but he got a reply, "Come in," Aaron answered him.

Paul did as he said and pushed the door open, stepping into Aaron's bedroom.

He raised his brows when he found that Aaron was still in bed, the man was awake and sitting up, rubbing his eyes with one hand and trying to smooth down his curls with the other, an endless battle. The red covers of his bed were pooled around his hips, exposing his pale torso, he wasn't all hard muscle like Paul was, but he was toned, and Paul found it almost difficult to tear his eyes away from the flesh.

"Mornin'," Aaron grumbled, falling back onto the pillows of his bed, and _oh god, v-line, happy trail._

Paul cleared his throat awkwardly and looked to Aaron's face, "Morning," He replied, closing the bedroom door finally and then walking over to the bed, sitting himself down on the edge of the mattress by Aaron's hips, "Why are you still in bed?"

Aaron hummed, and pealed his hands away from his face, resting them on his stomach and smiling lazily at him, "I didn't sleep very well last night, I guess once I finally got to sleep, I didn't stop," He replied.

Paul smiled and reached out to touch his hair when Aaron attempted smoothing it down again, "Sorry to wake you then," He said, enjoying the feeling of the soft curls between his fingers, and Aaron seemed to be too.

"No worries. What's up?" Aaron replied, and Paul could see him stretching his legs.

"Daryl's asked you and me to go hunting with him, he's making up a bag now and then we're planning on going. If you want to go back to sleep that's fine, you could use the rest I'm sure," Paul told him.

Aaron shook his head, "No, I'll come," he said, and then smirked at him, "Unless you want me to stay back because you and Daryl want to get it on in the woods,"

Paul rolled his eyes and slapped him on the chest, "Fuck off. Get up and get dressed, Daryl will be waiting at the gate soon,"

Aaron chuckled but did as he said and got up from the bed, and Paul's eyes immediately floated to his ass when he saw that he was only wearing a pair of tight blue boxers.

"How long are we going to be out?" Aaron asked, turning around and looking at him, raising a brow after a few moments.

Paul swallowed thickly, and his cheeks flushed when he realized he'd been caught staring, "Uh… I'm not sure. I think Daryl just wants to spend some time with us more than anything," He answered, rubbing the back of his neck and taking a moment to gather himself.

"Can't blame him," Aaron said as he began to ruffle through his drawers, "I mean, we're pretty great, and he hasn't seen us in close to a month,"

Paul chuckled and stood up to make Aaron's bed for him while he got dressed.

"You know," Paul said a few minutes later, just as Aaron was buttoning his shirt up, "I was talking to him this morning. He finally admitted that he's unhappy at The Sanctuary, that it can't stop him from thinking about what was done to him," He said, doing the last step of making the bed by arranging the pillows.

"What'd you say to him?"

"I told him that he always has a place here and that he should talk to Rick. He's worried about disappointing him," Paul replied, passing Aaron his boots.

"I seriously doubt that Rick would be disappointed in him," Aaron said, sitting down in the chair by the window and beginning to pull his boots on his ridiculously large feet.

Paul nodded, "I told him that too, and that even if Rick would be disappointed, it was okay for him to want to do something for his own happiness,"

"So, he's planning on talking to Rick then?"

"I think so," Paul answered, and Aaron, finished getting dressed and having grabbed his knives and gun, joined Paul in approaching the door.

"I assume he'd be staying here once he leaves?" Aaron asked as they began making their way down the hall towards the elegant wooden staircase.

"More than likely, yeah," Paul replied, chuckling lightly.

Aaron grinned, "Great,"

 

* * *

 

When the two of them arrived at the gates, Daryl was already there, talking to Tammy Rose while he waited for them, and Dog waited patiently by his feet, but his tail wagged against the ground excitedly.

"Hi," Aaron greeted when they reached him, "Ready to go?"

Daryl smiled at the both of them and adjusted the grip that he had on his crossbow, "Yeah, let's get going," He said and motioned for Eduardo to open the gates for them, which he did.

"Be safe out there, boys," Tammy Rose said and patted Aaron on the back before heading off.

The three of them said their goodbyes to Tammy, and then Daryl proceeded to lead the way through the gates and across the grass by the gardens towards the tree line of the woods. Dog trotted along excitedly a few meters to the left of them, and as soon as they entered the tree line, Paul swore that he could see the tension begin to melt of Daryl.

"Any traps to check?" Daryl asked as they walked, the three of them silent, Dog being the loudest of them all as he excitedly sniffed and followed whatever trail he had picked up. He didn't give Daryl any sign that it was something dangerous they needed to worry about, he just seemed to be enjoying that he was outside of a place filled with only familiar scents.

Paul thought for a moment, "Yeah, me and Aaron set a couple of traps yesterday, they're down by the cabin at the river," He replied.

"We could probably head there last," Aaron suggested, "You know, make our way there slowly,"

Daryl nodded in agreement, slowing down a little so Paul and Aaron could fall in step beside them, "We'll see if we can find a track that heads in that general direction, try and end up down there by lunch,"

Paul hummed, "I could do with a swim," He said, and Daryl chuckled, and Aaron nodded in agreement.

 

* * *

 

"You're holding it wrong,"

"Show me how to hold it then,"

Paul snorted as he watched Daryl attempt to teach Aaron how to use his crossbow. Daryl had already taught him a couple of years ago, and while he was nowhere close to being as good as Daryl, he was a pretty decent shot and would do just fine if it was the only weapon he had on him. So, Paul had decided to sit back and relax, watching the river flow in front of him as Daryl and Aaron stood a few meters away, Aaron attempting to hit the target that Daryl had carved into the tree.

He looked over at the two men, found Daryl standing behind Aaron, completely pressed against his back with his arms wrapped around him as he attempted to show him how Aaron how to hold the bow. Paul watched them for a few moments, licking his lips a little at their position before forcing himself to look away, Dog sprinting into the water for the third time helped divert his attention.

He smiled a little as he watched the Dog bound into the water, water splashing everywhere until the animal began swimming once he got into deeper water.

He heard a swear, and he looked over to find that Aaron had hit about two feet above the target, and Daryl appeared to be laughing. A broad smile spread over Paul's lips as he watched Daryl wrap his arms around a frustrated Aaron, hugging him from behind and resting his chin on his shoulder. As happy as it made him to see the two of them be comfortable and carefree with each other, he found himself wishing he was a part of the moment, that he was there hugging them too.

He tore his eyes away from the two of them and settled his eyes back on Dog who was attempting to swim after a duck, which Daryl had refused to kill because he saw its ducklings on the other side of the river with its mate.

Paul smiled and chuckled softly when he heard Daryl yell at Dog to leave the bird alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whisperers coming soon! I just wanted to have a couple of buildup chapters that displayed how their friendship worked. 
> 
> ps. chapter title - Hozier song title because I'm a slut for Hozier's music. 
> 
> p.ss paul's a bit of a horny one, eh?


	4. To build a home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise whisperers are coming!

"Nice day," Paul said as he joined Maggie on the front porch of Barrington House, sitting down on the steps beside her.

She hummed and smiled at him, tucking some hair behind her ears, "Yes, it is," She replied, and then turned her gaze back to Hershel.

Paul joined her, the young boy was running around on the lawn with some other children. He had grown so big, he was only a few months away from turning seven, he had thick black hair, a sweet smile, and looked so incredibly much like his father. It used to make Maggie cry, but now it makes her smile.

"Busy today?" Paul said after watching his godson for a few moments.

Maggie shrugged, "Not too bad. I need to take a look at the crops. Apparently, a couple of the beds are much further behind than what they should be, and I need to approve the extension on the north wall so the construction of the new houses can begin,"

"How far along are the current ones?" Paul asked. The houses were small buildings that were being constructed and had been for the past couple of months. The north wall had been taken down and built out, and ten new houses had been built, and apparently, it was time for it to be extended again so, even more, could be constructed.

The houses weren't much, two stories to optimize space on the ground. A small kitchen, living area, and a bathroom on the first floor, and then the bedroom and a second room of choice by whoever would be moving into the house on the second floor.

Maggie and Paul were in charge of who were given the houses, families with children were the first priorities, followed by those who lived in trailers that were on their way to giving out, then couples, then other people. They wouldn't give a house to just one single person as it was a waste and unnecessary as the individual rooms in Barrington House were still fine, but people could have roommates.

So far, seven houses had been completed that Paul knew of, and three were still being constructed. All of the houses had already had designated residents. Maggie and Hershel had the smallest house, Rosita, Siddiq, and Tara shared another, Eduardo, Kal, and Alden, Tammy Rose and Earl, and the others had other various families, all with young children. Out of the three remaining houses, one was for Carl and Enid who still lived in the room that Enid had first been given when she first came to The Hilltop, which seemed plain unfair considering she was one of the doctors. The second was going to be kept empty and used as a spare house for when they had visitors from the other communities.

The third house was for Paul and Aaron. He hadn't been happy about it at first, insisted that he liked his trailer just fine, but Maggie and Aaron convinced him that as he was Maggie's second in command, The Hilltop's best fighter, and had done more than his fair share of work, he deserved a place to live that was nice and suited him more than a damn miserable trailer that was falling apart.

He had finally agreed, and he and Aaron had discussed what they wanted and then talked with the construction team.

The thought that Daryl was planning on permanently moving to The Hilltop entered Paul's mind, and he wondered if Daryl would stay in the trailer, or if he'd come to the house with him and Aaron. Paul knew that he would much prefer if Daryl joined them.

"Well," Maggie began, and Paul was snapped back to reality, "The spare one will be finished soon, and then Carl and Enid's, and yours will be done in the next couple of weeks,"

Paul nodded, "Oh, great," he replied.

"Are you getting excited?" She asked him, looking to him again.

Paul shrugged his shoulders a little, "I guess so, yeah. I know Aaron is, that's something,"

Maggie nodded in understanding, "It may seem like a lot now, and I know you, you think that everybody else should have on before you do because you don't care where you stay," She said, and he nodded in agreement, "But, as soon as you move in, you'll fall in love with having a house again just like I did,"

Paul's lips quirked in a smile, and he chuckled softly, "Yeah, that's what Aaron keeps telling me,"

Maggie laughed softly too, and she reached out and brushed some of his hair back from his face, "Maybe you should listen to him then," She said, and he rolled his eyes, "How's Daryl been going?" She then asked.

"Four days ago, when he first got here," Paul began, stretching his legs out in front of him and watching Hershel again, "He finally admitted that he isn't happy at The Sanctuary, he plans on moving here permanently, he's going to talk to Rick about it,"

"Oh, fantastic," Maggie replied, smiling wide, "It'll be great to see him around more often,"

Paul's own lips twitched in a small smile, "Yeah, it will be,"

Their chat was interrupted by the sounds of the front gates opening, and Eduardo calling for the two of them. They both shared a look as they stood up, and Maggie told Hershel to stay where he was as they passed him on their way to the gate.

Upon reaching the gates, they were greeted by the sight of Rick on horseback, leading a group of unfamiliar people behind him, they all appeared to have also borrowed horses from Alexandria.

"Rick," Maggie greeted him, her face plain as she looked at the rest of the group.

"Hello," He replied, and dismounted his horse, and motioned for the others to do the same. Residents of The Hilltop who were in charge of the care of livestock began to appear and take the horses, the newcomers staring at them suspiciously as they did.

"Who are these people?" Maggie then asked, the gates closing.

Rick looked over his shoulder at the group behind him, "Judith brought them in…" He said, and both Maggie and Paul looked at him surprised, but he shook his head in a motion that meant not to even ask, "They seem like good people, but we're not entirely sure. We don't have the room for them at Alexandria at the moment for a trail,"

"We don't have much room here either," Paul replied, a small frown on his face already beginning to juggle around ideas in his head how he could get the group to fit until people moved into their houses in a few days.

Rick nodded in understanding, "I'm sorry, I brought them here because I heard that a large number of houses had been completed. I assumed that meant there would be more spaces in the trailers and rooms," he explained, placing his hand on his hip and squinting due to the sun.

"The houses have been completed yes," Paul said, "But they haven't been moved into yet,"

"We can figure something out," Maggie said, keeping a watchful eye on the new group, "What are your names?" she asked them.

The pretty, younger woman with dyed blonde hair cleared her throat, "I'm Magna, the leader, this my girlfriend Yumiko," she began, motioning to the Japanese woman to her left, "That's Kelly and Connie, Connie is deaf, but understands sign language. And that's Luke,"

Maggie nodded as she looked at each new face, "Okay. I'm Maggie, the leader of The Hilltop. This is my second in command, Jesus," She told them, and then turned to Rick, "Carl's with Alden at the back watchtower, take them with you and show them where everything is. Offer them bathroom facilities, food, and water. Jesus and I will go and sort out where they can stay,"

Rick nodded, "Okay. Come on, let's go," He said and began walking, the group following behind him and looking around with curious eyes.

Maggie sighed heavily and looked to Paul, "You reckon Aaron would move into the trailer until the house is ready? That gives us a queen bed and a couch," She asked, looking over his head to check on Hershel.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind. I'll get ask him and get one of the spare camper mattresses from the basement since I already have Daryl on the couch," He replied, trying to think of where Aaron would currently be.

"You could always have one of 'em slide into bed with you?" Maggie suggested, grinning at him and placing both hands on his hips.

Paul rolled his eyes and decided not to reply as he spun on his heels and made his way to the housing area, Aaron helped out on the construction crew most days, so that was the first place that he should check. He heard Maggie laughing behind him, and he couldn't help the smile that twitched on his lips.

He made his way through The Hilltop to the housing area, and then through the rows of houses to the ones at the very back. He smiled and waved at Tara and Siddiq as he passed their home, the pair were moving things into their house and swearing and arguing as they did. Paul rolled his eyes and wondered why Rosita wasn't with them.

The sound of construction was easy to follow and was a dead giveaway to where the new houses were. He found Aaron standing by a wheelbarrow full of roof tiles, and the curly-headed man smiled as soon as he spotted him and put his tools down before approaching him.

"Come with me," Paul said when Aaron reached him, placing his hand on the other man's back and leading him away from the loud construction so the two of them could have a conversation without the constant interruption.

"What's up?" Aaron asked as they came to a stop by one of the large storage shed, leaning up against it and dusting his hands off on his jeans.

"Rick just arrived with a group of five new people, wants them to stay here," Paul said, "He thought we'd have more space since the houses are finished, but he didn't know that people hadn't completely moved into them yet,"

Aaron nodded as he listened, "Okay," He replied, and appeared confused as to what the actual conversation was meant to be about.

"Anyway," Paul continued and folded his arms over his chest, "We figured that since we'd be moving into the house in a few weeks anyway, you could move into the trailer until then, so we have an extra room. Up to you, of course, we can figure something else out if you don't want to stay in a cramped trailer with two other guys for two weeks,"

Aaron shook his head, "No, that's okay. No worries, at all," He replied, smiling beneath his beard.

"You sure?" Paul pressed, raising one of his brows.

Aaron chuckled, "Yeah, of course," He confirmed, "I think I can handle staying with my two best friends for a couple of weeks,"

Paul smiled back, "Okay, then. You'll have to sleep on a mattress on the floor since Daryl is on the couch, and we can probably move what stuff of yours won't fit in my trailer into Maggie's office until we're in the house,"

"Okay, whatever you think is best," he replied, "Do you need my help? If not, I'll keep working, we want to get these houses done as soon as possible,"

Paul shook his head, "No, I'll be okay. Anything specific you want in the trailer?"

Aaron thought for a few moments, "Just my weapons and clothes, I guess. There's not really anything else I need,"

Paul nodded and reached out and patted the older man's shoulder, "Alright. You get back to work then, I'll see you later tonight,"

Aaron grinned and patted his stomach in return, "See you then,"

 

* * *

 

 

Paul blew out his mouthful of smoke, and then lifted the cigarette to his lips and took another drag.

It was late in the afternoon, and The Hilltop was beginning to wind down, people finishing up at their jobs and heading back to wherever they slept of a night to have dinner.

The construction team, including Aaron, were still working away, they liked to work as long as they had daylight to do it in.

Paul sat on the steps of his trailer with Daryl, and both of them were having a cigarette. They had come out when Hershel and a little girl, Sam, had knocked on their door and asked if they could play with Dog for a while. Daryl had, of course, said yes and told Paul to put his book down and come and have a smoke with him.

Paul chuckled when he watched Hershel throw the ball as far as he could, and then he and Sam cheered as Dog ran after it. His attention was drawn away from the kids and dog when he spotted movement by the front of Barrington House, he observed as Carl and Rick walked down the steps and across the grass, stopping at a picnic table and sitting down.

"Was thinkin' I'd talk to him today," Daryl said.

Paul turned his head to look at him and found that he was also watching Rick and Carl intently, blowing smoke out of his mouth and picking at the threads on his t-shirt with one hand.

"Yeah?" Paul asked, and Daryl nodded, "I can come with you if you'd like," He offered.

Daryl shook his head after a few moments, "Nah, it's okay. It's only Rick. Like you said, he'll understand,"

Paul nodded and squeezed Daryl's shoulder firmly for a few moments, "Yeah, he will. It'll be okay," He promised.

Daryl's eyes met his, and he smiled softly, petting Paul's hand and then stretching his legs out, "Thanks," He replied quietly, and then proceeded to stand up and put out his cigarette in the dirt, "I'll see you later then?"

"I'll be here," Paul answered.

Daryl nodded and then spun on his heels and began making his way to where Carl and Rick were still sitting.

 

* * *

 

Half an hour after sunset was when Aaron returned to the trailer, almost tripping through the door and then collapsing down on his mattress beside the couch that Paul had made up for him.

"You good?" Paul asked him, he was sat at the dining table and sketching, he reached out and placed his foot on Aaron's back gently.

Aaron groaned in response, "I'm so tired, and everything aches," was his reply, and Paul smiled fondly.

"Well, you're getting your bed all nasty," Daryl said from where he was sat on his couch, a book open and resting on the armrest with Dog curled up in his lap.

Aaron hummed but didn't attempt to move, so Daryl sighed and maneuvered Dog out of his lap before standing up, then helping a very reluctant Aaron do the same, "Seriously?" Aaron grunted as Daryl began to lead him into the bathroom, and Paul just shook his head.

"Yep, take a shower and get out of your grubby clothes," Daryl told him, "You'll sleep better,"

 

* * *

 

 

Later in the night, the four of them were all in their respective beds, Paul in the actual bed, Aaron on the mattress, Daryl on the couch, and Dog on his doggie bed.

"So, Daryl," Aaron said, after his shower, he had actually managed to stay awake long enough eat dinner, and then stay up and chat with them for a while, "Are you excited to be stuck here all the time now?" He asked.

Paul chuckled, he knew that Aaron was pretty excited and happy that Daryl had told Rick he intended to stay at The Hilltop. Paul was too.

"Don't wanna be anywhere else," Daryl replied, and a smile immediately broke out on Paul's face.

"Good," Aaron replied, and then there was the shuffling sound of him rolling onto his stomach.

"Goodnight, you two," Paul said, and proceeded to close his own eyes, and minutes later, he was asleep.


	5. Spread the wings

Paul clicked his tongue in encouragement for the grey horse in front of him.

The horse that Hershel had decided to name Luca was a sweet gelding and had recently been found in the woods by Daryl, who spent days getting the animal's trust so he could get a halter on him. Daryl had brought him back, and Luca had been given a week to settle into his new surroundings before Paul began working with him, alongside Maggie of course.

He was a bit skittish at first, but soon calmed down and it became obvious to Paul that the animal had been broken in at some point as he did know the basics, but he did need extra training if he was going to be safe to ride outside of the walls.

Paul currently had him tacked up and on a lunge line and trotting around the fence line of the round yard. Aaron was standing by grooming another horse that he tied to the fence, and was watching, offering up chatter for Paul to engage in so he didn't become too bored. Usually, Maggie did most of the work with the horses, but she was currently swamped and didn't have time.

And while Paul couldn't actually teach Luca new things as that wasn't where his skills lied, he could continue to re-enforce what training Maggie had given him.

"He's coming along well," Aaron said, as Paul stopped Luca and untied his lunge line.

Paul hummed and stroked Luca's neck after tossing the rope over the fence and then checking his bridle and girth before preparing to get in the saddle, "Yeah, a couple of weeks and I think he'll be okay to start going outside of the walls. We'll do some test runs first, just to see how he goes," Paul said as he hoisted himself in the saddle and moved Luca to walk around the pen.

Aaron nodded in understanding, still brushing the horse, "When are we planning on going out next?" He asked.

Neither of them had left the walls since they went hunting with Daryl a week previous, they had both been too busy with work inside the walls. Paul was going stir crazy, and he knew that Aaron would be starting to as well.

"I'm not sure, but we do need to get some scouting done. There are places we haven't checked in months, need to see if anyone's been around," He said, applying pressure to his reins and smiling in success when Luca lowered his head but continued walking.

"Yeah, the old military base hasn't been looked at it nearly four months," Aaron replied, beginning to tug tangles out of the horse's tail, "But we'd have to wait for a time that we aren't needed as much around here because we won't stop there,"

Paul hummed, "We'd be out of action here for a couple of weeks at least," He said, "And I'm sure that Daryl would like to come with us too,"

He then proceeded to tap his heels against Luca's side and moved the animal into a trot, continuing to try and keep his head down, which he resisted a fair bit, and Paul had to continue to ask him, rewarding him every time that he did as he was supposed to.

"Speaking of Daryl, where is he?" Paul asked, slowing to a walk again.

Aaron furrowed his brows as his eyes met his, "I think he was at the graveyard earlier this morning, and possibly babysitting Hershel now," He replied, taking a glance around as much of The Hilltop as Paul could see. Paul did the same, but there was no sign of Hershel or Daryl anywhere.

"Oh well," Paul said, "We'll see him later tonight anyhow,"

Aaron nodded, seeming to have finished grooming the horse he had as he had begun untying the lead rope from the wooden fence post.

"I'll be back in a minute," He said, smiling warmly at him and then leading the horse away back to the stables, and to retrieve another one.

Paul waved at him and took a moment to lift his arms above his head and stretch, letting out a quiet groan as he did. It had been a couple of days since he had had a proper work out session, and his body was stiff after having been working with horses all morning without a decent warm up.

He looked out ahead of him, his gaze longingly falling on the massive wooden gates that closed him off from the world outside of the walls. It had been a week, but that was far too long. He wanted to get out, he didn't care what for, he just wanted to get out.

He sighed and tore his eyes away from the gates, he adjusted his seat in the saddle and then began working Luca again, it wasn't too hot of a day so the horse could work harder for a bit longer.

Aaron appeared again a few minutes later with a new horse, and both of them continued with their jobs.

 

* * *

 

 

"Uncle Jesus!"

Paul's attention was suddenly drawn away from the gelding beneath him at the sound of his godson calling his name. He looked over to the area outside of the round yard and spotted the seven-year-old jogging towards the round yard, his thick black hair flopping around everywhere, and a broad grin spread over his lips.

Daryl followed a few meters behind them.

"Hey, buddy," Paul replied and walked Luca over to the side of the pen that the two of them had stopped at, Daryl cautiously holding a hand on Hershel's lower back as the boy climbed up on the railing.

When Paul came to a stop in front of them, he reached out and stroked Luca's nose, Hershel giggled when the horse snorted, "He sneezed on me!" He exclaimed.

All three men chuckled, and Daryl stroked the boy's hair affectionately, "How's it going?" He asked.

Paul smiled at him and dismounted Luca, he'd been working the horse for over a month, and he'd probably had enough, "Pretty well. He's going to be a good horse when he gets a bit more work in him," he replied, stroking Luca's neck before moving to release the girth, "Who knows, he might even end up being your horse, so you don't have to walk whenever we go in the woods," he said.

Daryl shook his head, lifting Hershel a little higher so he could pet the horse easier, "I'm good," He murmured, glancing over at Aaron who had come closer.

"Why not?" He the curly-headed man asked, "You liked him well enough when you spent almost a week getting him to trust you," Aaron said, proceeding to then pull a face at Hershel who immediately giggled and reached out for him, and Aaron grunted but picked the boy up, letting him run his hands over his beard.

Paul smiled at both of them, Daryl doing the same. It was a very cute sight to see, and it made Paul's feelings for the other man swirl in his stomach. He turned to Daryl.

"Well?" He pressed, and Daryl hummed in question, having also been distracted by Hershel and Aaron.

"What?" He asked.

Paul chuckled softly and rolled his eyes, "Why don't you want to ride him?" He asked but was once again interrupted by Hershel.

"Can I brush the horse?" he asked, looking at Luca with wide eyes.

Paul nodded and stepped back to the horse to finish removing his saddle and saddle pad, throwing them both over the fence, and then taking Hershel when Aaron handed to him over the fence. Hershel was getting big now, so it wasn't as easy as it used to be.

"Remember to be careful behind him, okay?" Paul said, accepting the grooming kit that Aaron handed him, and then placed it on the ground by Luca's feet so Hershel could get to them easily.

"Yes, I will," He replied, immediately grabbing one of the brushes and beginning to brush Luca's sweaty grey coat.

Paul smiled at him and leaned down to the kiss the top of his head before turning and facing Aaron and Daryl again, "So?" He asked, looking at Daryl as a smirk played on his lips.

Daryl rolled his eyes at him, "I'm fine with 'em when I'm on the ground, but I don't like riding them," he explained.

"Are you scared?" Aaron asked, leaning his side up against the fence and folding his arms over his chest.

Daryl shrugged, "Right at the start, and Maggie's farm, I took one of her horses out looking for Carol's daughter Sophia who'd gotten lost in woods. I was at the top of a ravine, and the horse spooked, I came off and fell to the bottom of the ravine, I accidentally fired one of my arrows into my side when I did. I had to pull myself back out of the ravine and walk back to the farm,"

Paul raised both of his brows, and whistled lowly, "Shit, that's a nasty fall. The easiest way to lose confidence is having a fall," He said.

Daryl nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I just ain't wanted to get back on since," He said.

"That's okay," Aaron replied, smiling at Daryl and reaching out to place a hand on the man's arm, squeezing gently, "If you ever want to get back in the saddle again, let us know, and we'll give you a lesson," He offered.

Paul nodded in agreement immediately, "Yeah, you can ride mine or Aaron's horse since they're the quietest" He said, and then turned to Hershel who was tugging his pants to get his attention, "What's wrong?" he asked, pushing some of the boy's hair away from his face.

"Can I brush his tail?" He asked, big brown eyes boring into Paul's own.

Paul shook his head, "No, not his tail but you can do his mane, okay?" He replied, Hershel, frowned a little but nodded and stepped back to Luca and began brushing his mane. As Luca could still be a bit skittish, Paul didn't want Hershel behind him in case something spooked him and he either kicked the boy or stepped back onto him.

The three of them chatted for a few minutes later, and ruckus from the outside the gates got their attention, and seconds later, Eduardo and Kal were frantically opening the gates.

"Maggie! Jesus!" Kal called out, frantically looking around the community for them.

Paul immediately jumped over the fence as it was quicker and began running over to the front gates. He could hear Daryl following after him after just a few seconds, and Aaron saying something to Hershel.

Paul and Daryl arrived at the gates just as Magna and Yumiko stepped inside, carrying a wounded Rosita between them.

Paul looked around and found Siddiq already sprinting towards them from the med trailer, and Maggie wasn't far behind him.

"What happened?" Paul asked, looking at Rosita. She was dirty, looked confused, and had blood pouring done one side of her face, she seemed barely conscious.

Siddiq arrived then, and immediately took Rosita from Yumiko and Magna, scooping her up into his arms so that he was carrying her bridle style, and proceeded to rush back to the med trailer, shouting over his shoulder that someone needed to fill him in soon.

Magna sighed, "We're not sure. We were just out in the woods, having a look around, and we saw her flare go up. She was like that when we found her, she's saying something about the walkers speaking," The woman explained, leaning into Yumiko's side and looking exhausted herself.

"She's concussed," Maggie said from beside them, "Did you see anything that might have been the reason for her injuries?" She then asked the two women.

Both women shook their heads, "No, she was sitting against a tree when we found her," Yumiko replied.

Maggie nodded, "Alright," She said, turning to face Paul, "Me and you will go and talk to her then, see if we can get her to say anything," She told him and Paul immediately nodded in agreement, looking behind him to Daryl who was now stood with Aaron and Hershel. Maggie looked at them also, flashed a small smile to her son and then spoke again to everyone else that had gathered around, "As for everyone else, return to your normal work. Kal, Eduardo, the two of you keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious,"

Everyone agreed, and Maggie nodded in Daryl and Aaron's direction before taking Paul by the elbow and encouraging him to follow her to the med trailer.

Maggie knocked on the door lightly and then pushed it open, and the two of them stepped into the med trailer.

Paul immediately spotted Rosita in one of the beds, she had been changed into one of the hospital gowns that they had recovered, and she was sitting up against the pillows in her bed, Siddiq patching up the wound on her head and Enid was in the trailer's small kitchen area and pouring a glass of water.

"Hi, Rosita," Maggie said as the two of them came to a stop by her bed.

Rosita turned her head slightly to look at them, she looked pale and exhausted, but otherwise pretty okay.

"Rosita, do you know what happened to you?" Paul asked softly.

She swallowed thickly and blinked a couple of time at him before speaking, her voice quiet and raspy, "Walkers… but they weren't…" She trailed off and then her eyes suddenly widened, and she tried to sit up straight, "Eugene's still out there! Please help him!" She all but begged, fear radiating from her and Siddiq immediately tried to calm her down.

"Hey, Rosita, calm down, it's okay," Siddiq whispered, stroking her hair until she settled again, and he could continue patching her up.

Paul looked between them both for a moment, "Rosita, I'll find Eugene, okay? Don't worry. Do you know where he is?" He asked.

"Barn," She offered up and closed her eyes, her head falling back against the pillows behind her head.

Paul thought that he knew what she was talking about, there was an old barn out in the woods, a couple of miles out and not far from a town that he had raided many years ago. He began forming a plan in his head, it was getting late, the best thing to do would be to find Eugene, and then head to that town and find somewhere safe to stay for the night in that town before heading back to The Hilltop in the morning.

"Is he hurt?" Maggie asked, sitting down on the bed by Rosita and taking her hand to keep her calm.

Rosita nodded slightly, "His leg," she slurred, and it was clear she was getting exhausted.

Siddiq sighed and looked to them both, "She needs to get some rest," He said, his face full of worry and concern.

Paul nodded and held his hand out to help Maggie up off the bed, and the two of them turned to leave the trailer, but Rosita got their attention again, her voice weak, "They were talking, whispering. I'm not crazy," she said.

"We'll find him, Rosita, get some rest," Paul told her, and she nodded before closing her eyes again and then he and Maggie left the trailer.

"Best bet is to leave now, get to Town F first, leave the horses somewhere safe and then head back to the town and stay the night. We'll head back in the morning, especially if Eugene's wounded. I'll take Aaron and Daryl with me," Paul told her as he began walking, and Aaron and Daryl who had been sat on the front steps of Barrington House, immediately stood up when they saw them and started walking towards them.

Maggie nodded, "This is what you're best at, Jesus. It's your plan to make, Michonne is on her way here with Rick, we can send them as backup with Magna and Yumiko a few hours after you've left, just to follow up behind you and then help you get back, especially when we're not exactly sure with what's happened to Rosita,"

Paul nodded, and he knew that in this kind of situation that they needed to take precautions.

"Send them as soon as they arrive, that won't put them far behind us then," Paul replied just as Aaron and Daryl appeared in front of them.

Paul looked to Aaron and Daryl, "Eugene is still out there, he's in the barn near Town F, we need to go get him. Daryl, you'll take the bike, and we'll follow on the horses. Aaron, if you tack up the horses, I can get your gear ready, and we'll meet at the gate in fifteen,"

Aaron nodded and patted his stomach before turning on his heels and heading towards the stables.

 

* * *

 

 

"Alright," Maggie said, standing in front of them with her arms folded over her chest, and Hershel was stood at her side with his arm wrapped around her lower back and his head resting against his stomach. He looked sleepy and confused, "The three of you be careful, don't do anything stupid, and stay safe,"

"Of course, Maggie," Aaron said as he adjusted himself in the saddle, taking a quick mouthful of his water and then tucking it back into his saddle bag.

Paul stepped over to Maggie and pulled her into a hug, "I'll see you soon," He said and pressed a kiss to her cheek before he squatted down and cupped Hershel's cheek, "You too, sweetheart,"

"Be safe Uncle Jesus," Hershel said in a small voice, and Paul nodded and pressed his lips against the boy's cheek before standing back up.

Paul gave Maggie one last smile and then stepped back. He petted Dusk's neck and then grabbed the reins in one hand, placed his foot in the stirrup and then hoisted himself into the saddle, adjusting his trench coat so that he wasn't sat on it.

"Alright, let's get going," Paul said, waiting for Daryl to take the lead as he was on the bike.

The three men shared a nod, and Daryl went off, Dog following close beside him, Paul went next, and then Aaron went last.

Paul immediately began to feel more at ease as the gates of The Hilltop became smaller behind them.


	6. Burning Pain

"Have you ever seen them do this before?" Paul asked softly as they stared out at the walkers, the large herd strangely milling around.

Aaron met his eyes, his face filled with concern and confusion, "No," he replied, shaking his head, "Never,"

Paul swallowed thickly and looked back to the herd. Something felt wrong, and he was unsettled, the most he had been in a long time.

Daryl sighed from where he was still stood, Dog finally arriving beside him from where he had been trotting around sniffing, "Let's go, there's a storm coming," he said.

Paul nodded and stood, holding his hand out for Aaron to take. The man did, and Paul lifted him up, grunting softly with the effort.

They began walking again, Daryl leading the way with Dog beside him and Paul and Aaron in the rear as they made their way to the barn that Rosita had told them she had hidden the wounded Eugene.

"You okay?" Aaron asked softly after a few minutes, looking over at him concerned.

Paul grunted softly as the three of them came to a stop while Daryl disposed of a stray walker, coming to a halt in front of them and raising a brow in question at Paul. Paul felt a little uncomfortable to have both men's concerned eyes staring at him.

"Yeah," Paul said just moments later.

Daryl snorted softly, "You're lying," he grunted.

Paul met his eyes, and he could barely see the older man's ocean blue eyes beneath his messy bangs; they really needed a trim and Paul would offer to do it himself if Carol didn't visit The Hilltop soon and see the state they were in.

"How do you know that?" Paul huffed, folding his arms over his chest.

Daryl almost smirked at him, "I just know," he said.

Paul rolled his eyes, and Aaron tapped him on the hip to get his attention, "So, what's the matter?" he asked.

Paul sighed and looked out at the field around them, "I don't know. I just feel uneasy. Those walkers… I'm worried about it, it just seemed so wrong," he answered, his cheeks flushing a little.

Aaron nodded, "Me too," he said softly, "I don't think we should worry about it right now… they might be evolving, something to with how old those walkers are… I don't know," he said.

Daryl looked between them, "Once we get Eugene back, rest up a bit, the three of us can come back out and observe them for a few days, see if it stops or if anything else happens," he said after a few minutes.

Paul nodded in agreement, "Yeah, that's a good idea," he agreed.

Aaron hummed, "Yeah, let's do it. For our own peace of minds, I guess," he grunted.

"We ready to go now?" Daryl asked after a few moments, stroking Dog's head while he waited.

Paul gave him a soft smile and nodded, "Yeah, let's get this over with; you were right, it is going to storm soon. We might have no choice but to stay the night where we left the horses, depending on how fast it approaches," he said, and he turned his head to the sky, looking at the dark blue clouds swirling together.

"Let's get this done," Daryl repeated, turning around and beginning to walk again.

Paul looked to Aaron, smiling at him softly and Aaron patted him on the back before he started to walk too, and Paul quickly followed, pulling his sword out of its sheath when he saw more walkers emerging from the tree line.

 

* * *

 

 

"Fuck!" Paul hissed as more walkers began appearing, from behind headstones and from the trees. He tightened his grip on his sword and looked around at the people with him, Aaron on his left, holding his knife and a poised position, Daryl just behind him with his crossbow raised. Magna and Yumiko were even further behind them with Michonne, and the injured Eugene that they had found was hidden behind one of the headstones as he was unable to fight.

Paul swallowed thickly and turned his head back to look at Daryl; he raised one of his brows at him in question. Despite the dim light, Daryl could see it, and he nodded in confirmation. Paul looked to Aaron then, and the man met his eyes just moments later.

Aaron smiled at him, "We got this, Jesus," he said.

Paul nodded, taking a deep breath as the walkers started to get closer, "Yeah, we got this," he said.

Paul raised his sword and then brought it down on the skull of the walker closest to him, and then the one that followed. The group began to spread out as they fought the walkers, using their respective weapons to take down the herd that was taking over the abandoned graveyard.

Paul ended up being the farthest of the group, close to where most of the walkers seemed to be flooding inside, taking down as many as he could before they got inside and overwhelmed the rest of the group.

He was panting with the efforts he made as he swung his sword, screwing his face up as walker blood spattered onto his face, and he spat when he tasted the foulness of it on his lips. The walkers were slowly backing him up as they began to spread, and he grunted as he did a jump kick, taking down one walker with his foot and another with his sword at the same time.

He met Aaron's eyes for a moment and nodded at him before he moved forward and lunged at another walker. It fell to the ground with a loud thump.

There was suddenly a yell of fear, and Paul looked over to see that Eugene had been discovered by the walkers, and Daryl and Michonne were currently helping him stand up while Magna and Yumiko attempted to keep the other walkers off them.

Paul nodded at Aaron, "Go, I got this!" He shouted, turning around and slashing at another walker and he heard the sound of Aaron's feet jogging across the dirt to the rest of the group.

They continued for the next few minutes, all of the others were outside of the gait, while Paul was finishing up the last of the walkers. He didn't really need to, with everyone safely outside of the gate Paul could follow and they'd be able to get away, but Paul was almost enjoying himself. It felt good to be able to use the martial arts skills he trained so hard at, the muscles he worked so hard to maintain. It felt good to feel useful.

It was Aaron's desperate call that finally got his attention, "Jesus, come on!"

Paul decided to listen to him, he'd done enough. He turned to approach the gate, his sword dripping blood as he took down the walker standing in his way, there was just one more before the gate.

He reached it, and he swung.

He had a few seconds to process that his sword didn't connect, and his brows pulled together in a frown when he realized that the walker had ducked, but then he felt the sharpness of a knife penetrating his stomach and a chocked off gasp spilled from his lips.

It was a pain he'd never felt before, and his eyes immediately dampened with tears.

His eyes widened, and his lips parted when he felt breath brush over his neck, "You are where you do not belong," a girl's voice whispered into his ear.

The knife was then pulled from his body quickly, and he almost vomited as he let out a soft cry and then fell to the ground.

"No!" he heard Aaron's screaming, terrified voice. His eyes landed on the walker that had just stabbed him, in his blurry vision he could make out that it was standing at his feet and staring down at him. There was a sudden blur as it was tackled to the ground, and one of Daryl's familiar grunts met his ears.

He sucked in a desperate breath, burning pain spreading through him as he hopelessly tried to keep his eyes open. Aaron's face suddenly appeared in front of him, blue eyes boring into his own.

"Paul," Aaron whispered, one hand cupping his cheek.

Paul couldn't stop himself, he inhaled shakily, and then his eyes closed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this fic is canon-divergent, and this chapter obviously went down very differently than how it happened in the show. For example, Jesus was stabbed by a girl instead of that random dude... guess who the girl is... and he was also stabbed in the stomach, not in the heart x


	7. Ever Known

Aaron's heart was pounding in his chest, the lump in his throat thick and almost choking him as he collapsed to his knees beside Paul. Daryl had already tackled the 'walker' to the ground, and the rest of the group had entered the graveyard again and was stopping the walkers from coming at them.

Aaron found that Paul's eyes were still open, but barely.

Aaron cupped his cheek as he stared down into Paul's beautiful blue-green eyes in the dim evening light, "Paul," he almost sobbed, placing his hand over Paul's stomach, and he could feel the wetness of blood against his hand.

Paul seemed to be looking through him, and Aaron could see that he was fading, "No!" he almost screamed, but it was no use, he watched as Paul's eyes fluttered closed.

His eyes watered, and he looked over to Daryl, found that the man was straddling the walker and Michonne was holding the tip of her sword near its head. The walker was squirming beneath Daryl, kicking and hitting at his chest in an obviously human way. Dog was beside it too, barking and growling.

"Get the fuck off me!" The 'walker' suddenly screamed, and Aaron jumped.

Moments later, Daryl seemed to understand what had happened, "There are fucking stitches on its neck," he hissed.

Michonne immediately leaned down, gripped its face just above the eyebrows, and pulled, and Aaron's lips parted in surprise as the face of the walker came away to reveal the face of a young girl.

It was too much for Aaron to process at that moment, and he turned his attention back to Paul who still lay beneath him. He let out a sob as he lowered his hand down, resting his forehead against Paul's. He stayed there for a few seconds before he felt a breath flutter across his lips and he shot back up.

He scrambled to press his fingers against Paul's neck, and let out another, slightly happier sob when he felt a pulse.

"He's alive!" he cried to get everyone's attention, and Daryl's eyes snapped over to him, as relief slowly began to flood his face, and Aaron could see that a few tears had leaked down Daryl's cheeks, believing that Paul had been killed.

"He's alive?" Daryl whispered, needing the confirmation.

Aaron nodded, "He's got a pulse," he said, "Come on, we need to leave now, or he will die," he said, his hand now pressed firmly against Paul's wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding, and his eyes fluttered to the now revealed girl, who was still beneath Daryl. He could see how terrified she looked as she pushed on Daryl's chest, and then attempted to punch him in the crotch before Michonne caught her wrist.

Daryl got off her, and Magna and Yumiko quickly lifted her up and restrained her, while Michonne headed up the front to open the gate and take out the last of the walkers. Daryl helped Aaron get to his feet.

"I can carry him bridal style," Daryl said, "You're going to have to help Eugene so Michonne can keep the walkers off us,"

Aaron nodded, and help Paul's limp body up long enough for Daryl to swoop him into his arms.

"Come on!" Michonne called from where she was outside of the gate, Eugene holding it open, "We'll get a few minutes away from here, and then stop to tend to him," she said, motioning to Paul in Daryl's arms.

They all jumped into action, fleeing the graveyard as quickly as possible.

Aaron could feel the tears pouring down his face as he ran.

 

* * *

 

It felt like it had been years when they arrived back at The Hilltop an hour and a half later. Paul had survived the trip back, but his pulse was terrifying weak, and he was getting paler and limper by the minute.

Siddiq and Enid were out of the med trailer within seconds of them arriving inside the gate, carrying a stretcher.

"Please save him," Aaron whimpered to Siddiq as they lowered Paul down onto the stretcher.

Aaron and Daryl helped Enid and Siddiq lift the stretcher, "Take her to the cells!" Daryl shouted to Magna and Yumiko who were once again restraining Lydia, the girl looking around the community, seeming to be in sheer shock of what she saw.

Lydia was taken away, and Maggie came sprinting out of Barrington House just as they reached the trailer, and tears prickled in Aaron's eyes again when he heard he scream Paul's name as she began to run towards the trailer.

"Guys, you need to give us space," Enid said gently once Paul had been placed down on the operation table.

Aaron couldn't tear his eyes from Paul, Siddiq stripping him of his clothes. He looked dead. He looked dead, and it was one of the worst things that Aaron had ever seen, and he wanted to be sick.

Enid got his attention by cupping his cheek, and she smiled softly though her own face was filled with fear, "Go and look after Maggie," she whispered, and Aaron could suddenly hear the sound of Maggie sobbing outside of the trailer.

Aaron felt a hand on his lower back and look to his side to see Daryl looking at him, "Come on," he whispered, his bottom lip quivering slightly and his own voice was shaky.

Aaron wasn't sure why, but he took Daryl's hand as he forced himself to turn around. He needed the comfort of his touch. Daryl led him out of the trailer, letting Aaron hold his hand and he didn't seem to mind at all.

All of The Hilltop had gone silent and stopped their work, everyone was looking towards the med trailer. Aaron's eyes fell on Maggie, and he let out a breath at the sight of her. She was wrapped up in Michonne's arms, tears pouring down her flushed-red face. Aaron couldn't bear the sight of her.

Daryl continued to lead Aaron away from the med trailer, and they reached a close by picnic table. The pair of them sat down just as Dog trotted up to them and he quickly laid down by his master's feet; he was clearly exhausted after the long day on his feet he'd had. Aaron buried his face in his hands and let out a shaky breath. They were both quiet for several long minutes, both crying silently and shaking.

"He has to be okay, right?" Aaron finally said, turning his puffy eyes to Daryl.

Daryl's red-rimmed eyes met his own, and he nodded, just slightly, "I ain't ever thought there would be something that could take Paul Rovia out," he whispered.

Aaron smiled a little at that, "Me neither. He's the biggest badass and the most capable person that I've ever known. It seems so wrong that something like this could take him out," he whispered.

Daryl scooted closer to him, pressing their sides together and he took a deep breath, "We know that Siddiq and Enid will do everything that they can, we just have to wait," he whispered.

Aaron nodded, and he knew that it was true, but it was hard not to believe that there couldn't be more for him to do. That he could have done more back at the graveyard. He shouldn't have left Paul by himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are loved and inspire me to write Xx
> 
> Tumblr - iiloulouii


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